Whatever Makes You Hate Me
by JRCash
Summary: Poe has been assigned to transport the most important prisoner of war the Resistance has ever captured. While en route back to base to face trial for his crimes against the galaxy, General Hux and Poe crash land onto a planet and are forced to get along for the sake of survival…and discover that they might not be so different after all. [Gingerpilot/Poe x Hux].
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I do not own these characters. I just make them do stuff. I do not profit from this in any way, shape or form._

* * *

If General Hux had thought he had ever had a bad day before, he could have never imagined a situation worse than the one he currently found himself in. He had already been captured as a prisoner by the Resistance. When he heard that he was to be transported off of the holding ship in which he had been detained on for weeks to a base, he had entirely accepted his fate that he was essentially being sentenced to death. He knew that the Resistance would put him on trial first, but they would give him no one to help him defend his so called crimes. They would pass down the death sentence as quickly as possible to rid the galaxy of him. There was no foreseeable out for his fate. Despite him mulling over every possible way while locked away in the cramped cell the Resistance had thrown him in, he had come up empty. He resigned himself to that he had accomplished everything he was supposed to achieve in his life and so be it if this was the end of it all. Too bad it would be at the hands of the very enemy he had worked so hard to try and obliterate from the galaxy entirely.

Hux had been led onto the smaller transport ship with his hands bound in front of him with a pair of heavy metal binders by two Resistance soldiers who then had placed him in a small room. Securing the door behind them as they left, he felt the ship's engines roar to life and the ship lift from the ground. Hux had no idea how long the flight would be to whatever corner of the galaxy they were taking him to. Deciding that he would pass the time to the best of his ability, he tried to sleep, something he had gotten very little of since his capture. He had only begun to drift off before the sounds of alarms wailing from the cockpit and a distant man's voice shouting into a comm pulled him back to reality. Something was wrong, _seriously wrong_ , he thought as his stomach lurched as the ship jolted hard to it's port side. Hux tried to brace himself against the edge of the bench and the wall in which he sat as he felt the ship losing altitude at a rapid pace, his stomach dropping and his heart racing as he tried to hold himself upright.

Suddenly, everything went black.

* * *

"Hey!" a voice called out from what seemed a million parsecs away in Hux's hazy mind. "You alive?"

Hux blinked a few times as he tried to move his legs and then his arms, realizing his wrists were still bound together tightly. His vision came back into focus as he stared up at the man standing above him.

Hux realized that he was in fact alive. He had survived the crash and the man who stood over him was the pilot of the ship, judging by the way he was dressed. The man bore the signature orange flight suit of a Resistance pilot with a leather jacket hastily pulled over it. He felt the man's hands pull him upright from the ground. Hux's boots slipped against the uneven metal flooring as he steadied himself, trying his best to hold his own weight upright in a standing position. Hux's temples throbbed and his knees felt weak, but he eventually found his footing as he tried his best to stand and not wobble too much.

"We've got to get out of here" the pilot said with a sense of urgency in his voice. He felt the man pulling at his arm, dragging him out of the room and towards a marred hole in the side of the ship. Streaks of sunlight filtered through the twisted and jagged metal as Hux's scrambled brain tried to make sense of it all. He was normally clear headed and sharp to react, but couldn't help to wonder if during the crash, he had hit his head because his vision was fuzzy and his mind felt as though it was slagging behind his body.

The pilot tugged Hux along for a few meters away from the wreckage before laying him down into the grass. Hux couldn't find the strength to fight back, allowing himself to sink into the cushiony ground.

"I'll be right back" the pilot's voice said from above him.

Hux rolled to his back and looked up towards the sky. His mind began to focus, his clarity returning to him as he watched the clouds above him float across the crisp, blue sky. He was alive. Which normally would be considered a good thing having survived the crash he had just experienced. He began to process his predicament, the metal of the binders cutting into his wrists as he tried to move his arms. He wished his hands were free to reach up towards his face, to check for any scrapes or cuts. Not feeling any blood trickling down his face, he relaxed his arms as best he could and returned to gazing up at the sky when reality hit him. He was stranded on a planet with a Resistance pilot, and that was worse than any nightmare he could possibly fathom.

Hux suddenly wished he was dead.

He felt himself being pulled up from the ground by a pair of strong hands. The pilot had returned. He tugged at Hux's body, his touch rough and demanding as he felt his back leave the dirt beneath him. The pilot freed one hand from him, his body bending slightly to reach for the handles of a few metal storage boxes he had returned with from the wreckage. His other hand tightly held onto a handful of Hux's coat, yanking the fabric along with the rest of his body.

"Come on!" the pilot ordered. Hux tried his best to gain his footing, his feet slipping under him as the pilot dragged him along. It took Hux a second before finding his footing again and catching up to the man's pace. As they approached a large fallen tree, the pilot all but forced Hux behind it before leaping behind the mossy stump himself.

"Stay down" the man said to him in a demanding tone.

Hux felt the pilot next to him crouch down as low to the muddy forest floor behind the fallen tree as he could and Hux tried his best to do the same. He was well aware of the dangers of a wrecked ship. Ruptured fuel lines and dangling electrical wires made for a deadly combination for anyone who lingered too long and too close to the wreckage.

A loud explosion echoed in the distance behind them. The noise shook the ground around them and sent birds scattering into flight from the treetops above them. Silence fell once again as Hux pulled himself up from the ground, brushing away dirt and leaves from the front of his uniform the best he could with his bound hands. Glancing over to his side, he saw the pilot doing much the same before picking up the few metal boxes of items he managed to salvage from the downed ship.

"Great job" Hux hissed towards the man next to him. A dark column of smoke billowed up into the sky in the distance from the wreckage, a savage reminder that there was no way off of the planet. "Looks like you've managed to get us stranded here". Hux hardly cared the pilot had bothered to save him along with himself. Considering that they were trapped on whatever maker-forsaken-planet they were on until someone came along to get them, Hux's fate was still the same in the end.

"Not my fault that something defaulted in the engine" Poe retorted, hardly wishing to take any blame for the crash. It really wasn't his fault. The transport ship had passed its pre-flight checks before leaving the main ship. A small faulty electrical fuse had triggered an onslaught of damage to the main thrusters after takeoff. It was purely a mechanical failure and of no way pilot error.

"I'm Poe Dameron, by the way" the pilot offered in an almost too cheerful manner considering the circumstances.

Hux scoffed at the man's friendly introduction. They might be stuck together, but that hardly meant they were going to be friends.

"Hux" he replied coldly back.

"I know who you are, _General Armitage Hux_ " Poe said firmly, making sure to stress the red haired man's full name. He knew exactly who he was transporting back to the Resistance base on D'Qar for what was most likely going to be his final sentencing for his crimes against the galaxy. "Are you going to try to escape if I undo those restrains?"

Hux looked down to his wrists. The normally pale skin peeked out from between the cuffs and his sleeves was burned a bright red, no doubt from being jostled about in the crash the subsequent fleeing from the wreckage. He couldn't deny his flesh stung from the metal rubbing against it, aching to be freed.

"No. I won't try to escape".

Poe smirked, a half cocked smile on his face as he bent to retrieve the metal boxes from the ground beside him.

"I don't think I trust to let you free yet" Poe said, gathering the items in his arms before standing to his full height again. "Let's go".

Hux huffed in annoyance as the pilot began ahead of him into the woods.

* * *

The pair walked in silence. Poe lead the way as Hux trailed behind him, taking in his new surroundings. Whatever planet they had crash landed onto was covered by thick woodlands. The deciduous forest spread around them for as far as he could see. The ground was damp, as if an early morning rain had thoroughly soaked the fallen leaves and ferns that covered the forest floor. Hux's polished boots sank into the spongy earth as he made his way along, blindly following the pilot ahead of him, wondering if the man had any idea if he knew where he was going.

The forest around them gave way to a small clearing. The large trees still towered around them, only letting small streaks of sunlight down through their thick leaves to the ground below. The clearing was on a slight incline, giving the two men the advantage that they could see any oncoming threats from the woods around them in any direction and provided relatively flat ground in which to make camp on. Poe set the metal boxes he was carrying down and looked around, nodding his head in approval that this would make a decent enough spot to call home for the foreseeable future.

"We better get a fire going. I don't think we have enough daylight left to get a shelter up". Poe looked up to the bits of sky he could see above him through the thick tree cover, noting the sky was clear with hardly a cloud in sight anywhere. "I doubt the weather will turn on us before morning".

"Whatever you say, you're the one who got us into this mess" Hux snapped before gazing up at the sky, double checking if the pilot knew anything about survival skills once so ever. He noted the same observation Poe had made that there was only a slim chance that inclement weather would come overnight, leaving it safe for them to spend the evening out in the open.

"I'm going to look for firewood" Poe stated, looking back at Hux who was just standing there. The red haired man looked ragged, hardly the stately General he had once been. The only remnants of his former position was his uniform in which he still wore. His rumpled satin black shirt was still tightly tucked into his pants, fastened with a thin leather belt with a silver clasp around his waist. A long great coat finished the ensemble, and he would still look every bit the impending General he once was except for the wrinkles criss crossing the fabric in every direction and the dried bits of dirt and leaves sticking to various parts of him.

Poe stepped closer to Hux and outstretched his hand towards the metal binders that still firmly held Hux's hands in front of him at his waist.

"If I take those off now, will you help me gather wood and get a fire started without any trouble?" Poe asked as he pointed towards Hux's restraints.

Hux said nothing as Poe took another step closer to him before lifting his wrist to grasp Hux's arm. Poe's other hand reached into his jacket and pulled out a key. Working the lock open, Poe undid the binders, letting Hux go. Stepping back, Poe folded the restraints in half and tucked them back into his interior pocket and looked at the General as he rubbed his fingers against his wrists, trying to relieve himself of the dull ache the binders had left against his flesh. The General looked deflated, but grateful his hands were finally free.

"Come on" Poe ordered. "Try and get as much kindling as you can".

Hux hardly appreciated being ordered around, let alone by some piece of Resistance scum, but he knew from his own survival training that a fire was necessary if they were to get through the night. He reluctantly followed the pilot as he made his way into the woods surrounding the clearing.

"There's hardly any fallen wood" Hux commented with annoyance as his eyes continued to scan the forest floor for anything that would suffice for a fire.

"Keep looking!"

Hux mumbled under his breath, cursing the fact he was obeying the pilot. He could easily take off running into the thicket now that his hands were no longer bound together, taking himself as far from Poe as his strength would allow him to get. But that would leave him in a worse predicament that he was already in. He would be alone, with no weapon and nothing other than the clothes on his back. The pilot had been smart enough to salvage survival kits from the wreckage and no doubt had some sort of weapon on him seeing before everything went to hell, he was transporting a prisoner of war.

"Find anything?" Poe voice echoed through the trees.

"Not yet" Hux replied. "Maybe if you stopped bothering me every five seconds, I'd come across something!"

"What about the stick that you seem to have shoved up your ass?" Poe heckled back. "That'd probably work just fine!"

Hux didn't bother to reply to the pilot's smart comment. He was more focused on getting a fire going before darkness set in. The afternoon light was fading, long shadows cast across the landscape as the sun dipped below the treeline.

Poe noticed a low hanging branch ahead of him. Jumping, he grabbed hold of the dried wood and pulled, using his body weight to snap the dead branch from the tree trunk. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Dragging the branch behind him, he tossed it towards the clearing before making his way back to the wooded area to continue his quest.

Soon enough, the pair had both gathered a handful of fallen branches and twigs in their arms, enough to suffice for a fire. Upon returning to the clearing, Poe found a suitable spot in the dirt and began working some of the larger pieces into the semblance of a fire pit, attempting to lean the logs against one another as Hux watched him from the side.

"Care to help?" Poe asked with a sarcastic quip in his voice.

"Absolutely not. You seem to be doing _just_ fine" Hux chided back, making sure his disgust at the pilot's failure was evident in his tone.

 _Bit harsh_ , Poe thought to himself as he returned to his work. They were in a survival situation and Hux seemed that he wanted to make a point for it to be the most miserable experience for the both of them. Poe could hardly stand Hux, but the fact that the General seemed so hell bent that death was a better option than being a decent human being, even in the slightest, seemed extreme to Poe. Yet again, once they made it back to the Resistance base, Poe would greeted by his own bed in his familiar quarters where the General would be greeted with yet another jail cell before a trial that would seal his fate. He figured that Hux had accepted his fate either way and if he was faced with the same situation, he'd rather die a semi-free man in the wilderness over the hands of the enemy in what would most likely be a public spectacle.

Hux had been watching the pilot struggle to create the lean to necessary for a strong fire for far too long. The two pieces of wood he kept trying to balance against one another kept slipping against each other and falling back to the earth. He could hardly bare to watch another second as Poe began another attempt to get to wood in just the right place.

"Don't they teach you anything in _your_ training?" Hux huffed, unable to stand another second of watching Poe's failures, as he stepped around the opposite side of the pilot and grabbed the thick logs from his hands. He jabbed the end of the wood into the ground with more force than was necessary before taking another log and leaning it against the first one.

Poe grabbed a handful of smaller twigs and leaves and pushed them in between the thicker firewood, creating a nest of kindling, unwilling for Hux to outwit him. He knew how to build fire just like anyone else in the military and the last person in the galaxy he wished to prove him wrong would be the ginger General he was stuck with.

Hux glanced up at Poe, giving him a silent stare as the pilot properly filled the rest of the fire base. _At least he's not completely stupid._

Poe fumbled the latches of one of the metal boxes open. They were all survival kits, filled with the necessary things to keep one alive in the very situation the two men had found themselves. Rifling through the contents, Poe found a book of waterproof matches near the bottom of the case. Withdrawing the small book, Poe cracked the duraplastic casing around the matchsticks before withdrawing one and striking it against the side. The flame ignited, glowing a bright orange in the darkness surrounding them as he held it down to the kindling. The leaves quickly caught fire, crackling and popping as the fire spread through the dried material and onto the larger twigs. Satisfied that the flame had taken, Poe threw the burnt matchstick into the growing fire and stepped back, admiring his work. Taking a seat against a flat rock that jutted from the ground in the clearing, he watched as the bark burned off the outside of the logs as it caught the flames, peeling back from the wood and charring into embers.

Hux had hardly said anything to the pilot since berating him on his fire building skills. The General sat across from him, having found a sizable log near the edge of the clearing to roll closer to the fire pit and make himself somewhat comfortable on. His knees were pulled close to his chest, his boots steadying his body by the heels which were dug the knobby surface of the bark. Hux's wrinkled coat flowed around him as he watched the flames in front of him dance in a swirl of orange and red.

"Where'ya from?" Poe asked, loud enough to be heard over the roaring fire. He figured if he was going to be stuck with Hux for the foreseeable future, they should at least know something about each other other than military ranking and the fact they completely disagreed on any political matters.

"It's none of your business" Hux replied shortly. He pulled his tattered great coat closer around him as he adjusted his body against the log he was sitting on. The temperature was dropping, but the fire helped ease some of the discomfort as the nighttime chill set in around them.

Poe sat up a bit, looking at Hux. "I bet ya I could figure it out. Is it warm or cold there?"

"Is this some kind of game?" Hux questioned back coolly.

"I guess" Poe said, a little hurt that Hux was still being so insufferably cold towards him. He was just trying to be civil, even if the man was his enemy. They were in this predicament together, the least they could do was set differences aside and at least attempt to be cordial to one another until rescue came.

Hux let out a long sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. He hated games, especially guessing games, finding them trivial and childish. He much preferred things that were straight to the point, not wasting unnecessary time dancing around things. But he had also never been in a situation where all he had was time _to_ waste.

"Fine" Hux said, giving in to playing the game. "It's a temperate climate. Not a desert or a tundra".

Poe mulled over the clue, mentally running through the planets he knew that were of such a climate. Dozens came to mind. He needed more information.

"Is it a core world?"

"No" Hux sniffed, almost offended that the pilot thought he had been brought up anywhere remotely close to what once was the Republic's capital.

"Hmm" Poe hummed. He figured the uppity, rigid demeanor of the man came from a rich upbringing. One where the man was doted upon and lavished, never having to struggle for anything in life, most likely raised by nanny-droids and given expensive gifts to try and fill the void that was brought by his parent's constant absences.

"Inner or Outer Rim?"

"Outer".

Poe mentally narrowed down his list of guesses. There were few outer rim planets that had even tempered climates. Most were either one extreme or another, some so much so they were inhospitable.

"You're pretty pale. Did it rain a lot where you are from?"

Hux rolled his eyes, but couldn't help to be slightly amused by the pilot's acute observation of his physical appearance. It rained all the time on his home world. He could only recall a few days that the skies were actually clear. Sunshine was a rare event that usually was a cause for celebration.

"I've spent most my years onboard ships, but yes, it did rain a lot".

Poe smiled as he snapped his fingers before pointing at Hux.

"Arkanis" Poe declared with conviction, proud that he had figured it out.

"Correct".

"Alright. Your turn" Poe chided contently.

"No" Hux said flatly. He had played the pilot's silly game and was more than happy to continue the remainder of the evening in silence.

Poe cracked half a smile as he looked around in the darkness that surrounded them, the expanse of wilderness that stretched for who knows how far before looking back at Hux.

"What? Got something more important to do?"

"Fine" Hux conceded. This man was like entertaining a child, constantly chattering as if he needed constant validation that he was the greatest thing to grace the galaxy and everyone should be charmed by his upbeat demeanor. It annoyed Hux to no end. But Poe did have a point. His game was passing idle time and Hux couldn't deny himself that he was a bit curious to know more about the man.

Hux looked across the fire at the pilot, studying him for a second for any clues to his background. His skin clearly had seen much more sun exposure than his own ever had. Poe's dark hair and wild curls hinted to some sort of exotic background he couldn't quite place or remember ever seeing in anyone he'd come across before. He also couldn't deny the fact he was attracted to it. Despite the fact Poe was Resistance scum, something Hux considered lower something he would scrape off the bottom of his boot, he couldn't help the fact that Poe was good looking even if he was filth in his eyes. He could tell the pilot spent more time than regulation required him to working out, his muscular build obvious from the way his clothing fit his body, clinging to him in the right places while still giving off a rumpled devil may care attitude about them. Hux was lost in the way the light from the fire danced against the pilot's deep brown eyes as he watched and waited for him to continue on with the game.

Hux was much too distracted to put too much thought into thinking up an original question, stealing Poe's as his first one.

"Is it hot or cold on your homeworld?" Hux asked, trying to ignore looking directly at the pilot.

"Hot" Poe answered. "And humid most the time".

Hux pondered the response, eliminating any dry, desert planets or ones known for being loyal to the Empire. The man's annoying faithfulness to the Resistance was almost a dead giveaway that he had come from a Republic background. He was probably raised by some free thinking rebels who didn't give him first haircut or make him dress properly until he was long past school aged.

"Clearly by your mannerisms, you weren't brought up on a Core World" Hux stated.

Poe didn't move around with much grace Hux had noticed. His combat boot had come untied hours ago and Poe hadn't bothered to fix the laces, even as they tramped about the uneven terrain gathering firewood. The pilot seemed to be a walking disaster, uncouthed as they could come to the General. They had yet to eat, but Hux easily could picture Poe being disgustingly sloppy about it- using his hands instead of utensils and chewing loudly with his mouth open, no doubt talking all the while.

"No" Poe replied.

"I give up".

Poe couldn't help to let out a small laugh at how quickly the General succeeded in the game. No wonder the First Order was getting it's ass kicked at the moment. If one of their top Generals was so quick to get frustrated by a simple guessing game, how would he ever possibly keep his head on his shoulders enough to win a war?

"It's not that hard. Jungles. Humid. It's technically a moon if you want to get specific about it" Poe offered, a generous clue that anyone with a basic knowledge of a galaxy map could figure out.

Hux knew his galactic history, well rounded in it actually, due to a voracious reading habit as a child. It finally clicked with him. Jungle moon and a Resistance fighter. Of course. The pilot was probably a product of an Alliance victory celebration. _Disgusting reason to celebrate_ , Hux thought to himself.

"Yavin" Hux said with an air of pride, knowing he guessed correctly.

"Yup" Poe replied, allowing the fact the General had missed the technicality that his home world was Yavin Four slide.

"Interesting" Hux remarked back plainly.

Poe cocked an eyebrow at Hux, curious at what his remark possibly could mean, but didn't push the issue further. Instead, he settled back on the rock he was sitting on. It was getting colder, the sun long set and the darkness firmly set in around them. Silence settled between the two again. Poe looked at Hux. His angled jaw was defined in the low light and the flickering shadows of the fire. He couldn't deny that the General was handsome, despite the fact he was a mass murderer of an entire system and was the embodiment of everything in the galaxy Poe despised. He watched as Hux adjusted his long coat around him once again, pulling the excess fabric over his long legs to blanket himself and conserve any warmth he was generating from his body. The General's reputation was sinister and he was more than an unfriendly person to be stuck with, but Poe couldn't help to wonder if he could get the rigid man to smile. _He'd be cuter if he smiled_ Poe thought, reaching for the sides of his own jacket to pull them closer to his chest.

"It's getting colder. I don't do well in the cold" Poe remarked, testing the proverbial waters between the two of them.

"Right. That whole from the jungle thing. Surprised you don't freeze up in space" Hux replied with little concern of the pilot's discomfort.

"Climate controls" Poe said casually. Did Hux really think the Resistance was that backwater that they sent pilot's up into the stars without some kind of technology to regulate the temperature inside their ships?

Poe zipped the front of his jacket up to his chin and crossed his arms around his body. Scooting his body closer to the fire, he hoped the crackling flames would warm him up some.

Hux noticed the pilot shivering, surprised for such a muscular, built man that he was truly affected by the temperature. It was hardly cold enough to be life threatening, a mere evening chill, but a damp one that seemed to seep into skin and bones.

Hux couldn't think of a time he had ever taken pity on another human being before, but something about the way the pilot across the fire from his sat hunched up with his knees drawn close to him and his arms wrapped around them almost made him feel sorry for him. Against everything in his nature, he wanted to take him into his arms and hold him until his teeth stopped chattering.

 _What are you thinking Armitage? This man is everything you want to rid the galaxy of_ Hux's mind screamed at him.

His body refused to listen to his thoughts and Hux rose and stepped towards Poe.

Poe was startled by the General's quick movement towards him. His hand automatically went to his boot for the vibroblade he kept tucked into the cuff of his pants. He figured if Hux was going to try to kill him, he would have at least waited until he was asleep, caught off guard that the General seemed to have other ideas.

Hux noticed Poe reaching for his weapon and stopped in place, putting his hands up in front of him.

"I'm not trying to hurt you" he said calmly.

Poe held the handle of the blade tight in his hand, his finger hovering over the ignition switch. His dark eyes scanned Hux as he stood a few paces in front of him, frozen in place. He was skeptical. Hux had so far spent their time together actively trying to defy anything Poe did or said. Why now was he trying to help him?

"What are you doing then?" Poe asked curiously. He didn't dare take his eyes off Hux. He was excellent at reading people, always able to tell when someone was lying to him and more than cautious around the likes of Hux.

"I was going to offer you my coat. But you are so defensive, maybe I'd rather keep it to myself and let you freeze all night".

"I'd rather be cold than wear that piece of First Order filth" Poe said as the tip of his finger traced over the edge of his vibroblade.

"Have it your way". Hux stepped back, letting his hands fall back to his sides as Poe lowered his weapon. The two men looked at one another. A stalemate fell between them as their eyes locked. The fire crackled beside them, the only sound as they glared at each other, both searching one another for any hint of alternative motives.

"Fine" Poe conceded, breaking the silence between them. The General actually seemed to be genuine about his offer, which threw him for a loop. If it was a trick, Poe knew he was armed and could easily overtake Hux if need be. He tucked his vibroblade back into his boot as Hux stepped forward and sat down next to him. It was nothing more than for warmth Poe reminded himself as he felt the General adjust his body closer next to his.

Removing his arm from his sleeve, Hux draped half of his coat over Poe's shoulders. Poe cringed as the coat touched him, as if the fabric was covered in a disease before succumbing to it and grasping the edge of the coat and pulling it closer around him.

"The logo is on my side, if that makes you feel any better" Hux offered, noticing Poe's displeased expression as he settled into the material. Hux had made it a point to sit on Poe's left, keeping the embroidered First Order patch as far away from the pilot, knowing it would only cause more grief between the two of them.

Poe couldn't deny that he was warmer. Between the extra layer of fabric and Hux's body close to him, his body ceased shivering. He also couldn't deny that he liked the feeling of Hux next to him. The General had a few inches of height on him, but was not nearly as toned as he was. Poe wondered how the man could possibly be comfortable when he was not, attributing the man's rainy and cold upbringing to better adaptation when faced with less than palatable temperatures.

"Thanks" Poe said genuinely. He was grateful of Hux's gesture to share his heavy coat with him. He didn't believe the General was actually capable of any sort of selflessness, but he had been wrong on that part, but still kept a cautious air about the situation. First Order Generals didn't just snuggle up next to Resistance pilots for no reason, even if it was in obscure circumstances.

Hux didn't say anything back, only nodding. He watched Poe from the corners of his eyes. The pilot seemed to be lost in gazing at the fire, finally contented and warm to actually not be talking for once. Hux couldn't help but to study his profile in the dim light. His lower jaw was peppered with stubble, dark scruff dotting his chin and cheeks. He wondered to himself what it would feel like to press his lips against the pilot's cheek, what it would be like to run his hands through his wild curly hair, if it was even possible to tame down that dark mess that hung past his ears and fell into his eyes. What Poe's toned chest and abdomen looked like under that jacket and garishly orange colored flight suit that was stained with dirt….

 _Stop it_ Hux reprimanded to himself. _Stop looking at him like that._

But Hux didn't want to stop.


	2. Chapter 2

Hux blinked a few times as he woke up. The ground was hard beneath him and his great coat was draped over his body as a makeshift blanket as he attempted to stretch his legs out from beneath it. His body was stiff. Rolling onto his back, he ran his hand over his chin, noting the skin along his jawline was still relatively smooth from the day before. He was thankful that even while being held as a prisoner, the Resistance had allowed him access to regular showers where he was supplied with a razor to shave with. The privilege was always closely supervised by soldiers standing guard, fingers hovering over blaster triggers as they watched his every move, always checking that he had returned every bit of shaving equipment provided before returning him to his cell. One thing he missed about his life in the Order was access to hair product. He felt disheveled without it, despite the fact that even his hair was exceptionally trained from years of wearing the same style and always combing it back in the same manner every morning.

Since his capture, he had tried his best to maintain his stern look, but his hair was too long now and was losing shape, unable to hold itself in it's proper form. It was much like the rest of him. His once pressed and crisp uniform was now tattered and fraying, his normally polished boots were caked and smeared with mud. He wasn't a rigid General anymore. He was a prisoner, a capture, a tropey of the Resistance gaining the upper hand against the First Order.

Poe, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected by the change in his surroundings. Even on base, he was not graceful in the morning. His hair stuck out in all directions much as it normally would if he had slept in his own bunk rather than on the ground. His jawline was densely peppered with thick stubble that had materialized overnight. He hardly cared he didn't have access to a blade to rid himself of it. He hated the practice anyways and would try to stretch as much time between shaves as he could before receiving a warning from the higher ups for being out of regulation.

Hux noticed Poe was awake. He watched as the pilot absentmindedly scratched his chin. Whatever was in Poe's Yavin genetics, he would no doubt have a full beard in a few days time.

 _Which would look good on him._

Hux silently reprimanded himself as he sat up, pulling his coat from him before tucking his rumpled shirt back into his waistband.

 _Stop thinking about him like that._

Poe's stomach grumbled as he pushed himself up from the ground, crossing his legs under him and looking across the fire pit that had burned itself out overnight. He noticed Hux was already awake, sitting with his back against the log he had used as a seat next to the fire the night before. The General was fiddling with the silver buckle of his belt, trying to piece himself back together.

"Mornin'. See you didn't bother to make a break for it overnight" Poe commented as he stood, running a hand across his head in a poor attempt to smooth his ruffled hair down. His curls only popped back up once the pressure of his palm was gone.

Instead of a response, Hux gave him an icy glare as he snapped his belt closure closed with a click. The sun was barely up and the pilot was already chattering away. Maybe trying to survive on his own in the woods wouldn't be so bad. Hux had half contemplated the night before to try and work the vibroblade free from Poe's boot as he slept, steal some necessary items from the metal survival boxes and make a break for it while the pilot slept, but something told him that his plan would be an unwise one. As much as he loathed the pilot, fending for himself in the unfamiliar wilderness seemed like a much worse fate to suffer.

 _No._ Hux reminded himself firmly. _Staying here alongside Resistance scum is worse._

 _Was it though?_

Poe turned to the boxes next to him. He had made sure they were securely locked and the key was tucked deep into his interior pocket before drifting off to sleep. Even if the General had shared his coat with him the night before, he hardly trusted the man not to steal everything from him and leave him for dead. Poe hardly slept much at all through the night, waking every quarter of an hour to make sure Hux was still asleep and not planning on jumping him while he was unconscious.

Pulling the key from his pocket, Poe made sure to keep his body angled away from the General's view. He didn't want Hux to see where he was keeping it. Granted if the General decided to kill him first, he could easily be searched until it was found.

One of the boxes contained a month's worth of rations. Silver foiled packaged m. were stacked inside the box, along with a few canteens of filtered water and a couple dozen ration bars.

Tossing a bar towards Hux, the General caught it before it hit him in the chest. The pilot had a strong throw.

"Breakfast" Poe stated as he sat back down, working the foil wrapper open from around his own bar.

"This is all you are giving me?" Hux questioned as he looked down at the bar in his hand.

It was made to be nutrient rich, but hardly enough to keep him full, especially since it had been well over a standard day cycle since his last meal. His stomach was empty and he could feel the pangs of hunger gnawing within him. In his life, he had never experienced true hunger. Even now, he was nowhere near starvation, but it was still the closest thing to discomfort he had ever dealt with. His high ranking position in the Order always meant he was well fed on a regular basis.

"For now, that's all we got. If we want any of those m. , we're gonna have to find some water around here" Poe commented, noting Hux's look of displeasure as the General continued to study the bar.

"There's canteens full of it" Hux pointed out before ripping away the foil wrapper around the ration bar with a scowl and reluctantly taking a bite.

"Yeah, that's _drinking_ water".

Hux chewed in silence. The Resistance ration bars tasted different than the ones used by the First Order. These were sweeter if they had honey in them and were loaded with various kinds of dried fruits which made them moist and actually palatable. The Order's were bland and dry, hardly with any taste to them at all and had a texture that could only be described as sand-like. After one experience with them, Hux hoped to never taste anything like them again in his lifetime.

Poe was right. It was important to conserve the clean drinking water they had in their supplies rather than wasting it to re-hydrate rations with. It was much less likely that they would catch any ill effects from found water if it was boiled properly and added to rations than if they were to drink it straight. He had no idea if the Resistance included water purifying tablets in their survival kits. The pilot had made no mention of such things and seemed adamant that somewhere nearby there was a water source.

The two finished eating in silence, both crumpling their wrappers in unison as they chewed the last bites. Hux had tried to avert his eyes from Poe as he ate. The pilot took large, wolfish bites, demolishing the bar in only a few mouthfuls. He had chewed them loudly, which made Hux's stomach turn in other ways aside from hunger. After bearing witness to that, he had lost any remaining appetite he had left.

 _How uncouth. No wonder he's a Resistance fly boy. Messy, dirty, sloppy, reckless in every aspect of their lives. Fitting of him really…._

Poe unscrewed the lid of one of the canteens and took a long sip of water. It was cool and crisp and seemed to wake him up, something he hadn't thought was going to be possible without his usual morning cup of caf. He had rummaged through the supply box earlier hoping to find some kind of dehydrated instant caf among the foodstuffs, but came up empty. He supposed the Resistance didn't see caf as a necessary item in a survival situation. He made a mental note to himself to bring a suggestion up to General Organa about the lack of even a packet or two. If there was any time he wanted caf, it was now, even more so if he had to survive the foreseeable future with Hux.

Poe passed the canteen over to Hux who took it from his hands and wiped the opening where Poe's lips had touched it with the edge of his shirt before taking a long gulp himself.

"I'm not diseased" Poe said, noticing how the general had so carefully wiped away any trace of his contact with the jug.

"You never know" Hux replied with a snap in his voice before taking another sip.

* * *

The morning was growing warmer as the sunlight sliced through the treetops down to the forest floor below. Poe had shed his leather jacket and unzipped his flight suit to his waist, tying the sleeves around his hips, leaving his torso only covered by a beige undershirt. Hux had removed his great coat, folding it neatly and setting it against the large log. He had also rolled up his sleeves and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his collar. It was the most casually dressed Hux had been in years. He felt sloppy, but cooler. He wished he could be so brazen and uncaring like Poe and peel away his satin shirt, or at least unbutton it all the way down the front, but he was too modest and brought up too formally to ever do such a thing, even if he was marooned in the woods. He could deal with a bit of extra sweat and discomfort if it meant he could still maintain some of his formality.

Poe gathered up the canteen and a few ration bars, shoving them in a small nerf leather pack along with a few containers that could be used for collecting water. He was humming some song under his breath, muttering occasional words in a language Hux couldn't place. The pilot stood, slinging the strap of the pack over his shoulder and looked towards Hux.

"Ready?" Poe asked.

Hux was hardly in any sort of mood to spend the morning with the pilot. If he had things his way, he would let Poe go searching for a water source nearby while he stayed behind.

 _Maybe he'll fall off a cliff in the process._

He longed for just a moment of quiet, something that seemed impossible to get with Poe around. Despite only being awake for a short amount of time, he could already feel a tension headache coming on. He used to get them any time he was forced to spend the majority of a day with Kylo Ren. Now instead of dealing with a brooding, overgrown child with a temper and a lightsaber, he was subjected to a noisy pilot who Hux could only equate to a human version of an untrained pittin pup.

Hux let out a long, exasperated sigh as he pushed himself up from the ground.

"I suppose so" he said as enthusiastically as he could muster.

He was not looking forward to this.

Poe set off into the woods, Hux trailing a few steps behind him. The pilot began humming again as they made their way through the thicket. Twigs snapped under their feet as they walked and birds above them occasionally called out, their tweets and whistles echoing through the branches. Poe continued his song, switching back to singing words in the language Hux couldn't understand. The pilot seemed completely content in his own racket, stomping and singing his way through the brush.

Hux was more than irritated. Maybe it was because he had slept very little on the hard ground or the fact he was uncaffeinated and his stomach still growled with remaining hunger. He wondered how Poe could seem so cheerful, despite having spent the night in the same conditions as him. He knew the pilot had not slept well either. Hux was aware that Poe was carefully watching him throughout the night, sacrificing his own rest to keep an eye on him.

Even while being held on the Resistance ship after his capture, he was at least provided with a sleeping pad, that while lumpy and worn, was at least tolerable. Hux had noted that despite being a prisoner, the Resistance had provided him with basic comforts. A droid brought him a small meal every morning along with a chipped mug of lukewarm caf. It was better than nothing, and far better than anything the Order would provide its prisoners. He knew that it would do no good for the Resistance's image if he was brought to trial looking emaciated or abused from being held in their care, probably a large reasoning behind the adequate care he had received from them.

After over a standard hour of what Hux considered aimless wandering, he was unable to bite his tongue any longer. Poe had seemed to have lead them in a large circle more than once. Unless Hux's mind was playing tricks on him, the patch of forest they were in again seemed vaguely familiar. He was a man of order and planning, not one to just meander without even an approximate idea of an endpoint. It seemed like a waste of energy and time, rather than anything that would serve a purpose, which grated on his already thinned nerves.

"Do you even know where you are going?" Hux called out to Poe with an annoyed huff.

Poe stopped, turning back to look at Hux. The General's cheeks were flushed and his expression was nothing short of a scowl.

"Not really" Poe admitted, hardly fazed at the General's question. He had chose the direction to head in based on nothing more than a gut feeling that seemed to tell him to head that way.

"Keep up, Huxy" Poe called back as he adjusted the strap of the pack on his shoulder before continuing on.

Hux clenched his hands into fists at his sides. Anger bubbled within him as he looked ahead at Poe. Everything about the pilot that morning seemed to irk him, the new nickname only making his blood boil more.

"Don't call me that!" Hux shouted towards Poe as he stepped over a large tree root that twisted up from the dirt. He quickened his pace to catch up to Poe, who had gained a few feet of distance in front of him.

Poe chuckled, his laughter echoing through the forest as Hux caught up to him.

"What do you prefer then? Armie?" Poe thought for a second before snapping his fingers and pointing at Hux with a grin. "I know….how about General Ginger?"

"Hux is perfectly fine. I don't see why you need to come up with some stupid nickname for me".

"I can tell it pisses you off, that's why".

"Is there a water source this way or not?" Hux demanded.

"We'll find out" Poe replied nonchalantly, hardly phased that Hux seemed to be coming undone at his carefree attitude about the situation. He took a few steps, contented in the fact that they would come across something eventually.

"I'm not spending all day tramping through the woods without a plan".

"I've got a good feelin' there's one nearby".

"A feeling?" Hux hissed. "Do you base everything off just a hunch? No wonder the little rag tag cause you believe so much in is so pathetic".

Poe stopped in his tracks and spun around on his heel, taking a few steps back towards Hux.

"Yes, the Resistance is so _pathetic_ at what it does and believes in, then how come I ended up stranded out here with you...the supposed unstoppable and unfailing General of the First Order?"

Hux gave Poe a cold glare.

"Who's still our prisoner, might I remind you!" Poe added sharply as his eyes narrowed, hoping the stark reminder that Hux was nothing more than a dead man walking would put him back into his place.

Hux snapped. He couldn't contain his frustrations with the pilot any longer. Clenching his fist, he took a wide swing at Poe, only for his wrist to be caught by Poe's hand who then quickly twisted his arm back around in his hold. The two men dug their boots into the ground as both struggled with one another to gain the upper hand. Poe seized the opportunity and jammed his elbow forcefully into Hux's exposed side. He could hear the General wheeze as his pointed joint dug into his ribcage with a loud crack. Hux twisted around, freeing himself somewhat from the contorted pose Poe had held him in. The two locked eyes, glaring at one another for a second. Hux felt bitterness and rage surge through his chest as he looked at the pilot, wanting nothing more to punch the living daylights out of him, clearing that stupid smirk off of his face.

"You are by far the worst person I've ever encountered!" Hux yelled out as he continued to struggle against Poe's grip. He might have height on the pilot, but Poe clearly had strength on him. His stocky frame and solid build provided him with better leverage against the muddy ground.

"Cause you've been so nice yourself" Poe countered back with a cocky tone.

He had turned Hux around, still with a arm bent but now sharply angled behind his back. He could feel the General's other hand attempting to grab at any part of him he could reach, unsuccessfully catching anything. Poe held Hux tight before bringing his elbow down against Hux's body again. This time his sharp joint hit him squarely between the shoulder blades. The pilot had hoped that the blow would have knocked Hux to his knees, but it only made the man bend a bit at the waist as his breath sputtered for a second as the wind was knocked out of him. If the blow had done anything, it had angered him more. Despite Poe having Hux in a hold, the General was still putting up a decent fight. Poe's fingers ached from the amount of strength he was using to clench around Hux's wrists, his muscles aching from the pressure.

Hux felt Poe's grip on his wrist loosen for a moment, seizing the opportunity to pull his hand free. In a split second, he tightly balled his fingers into a fist and swung at the pilot. Hux's hand caught Poe across the cheek, his punch landing on the corner of his nose. Poe cried out, more in surprise than in pain as blood began to trickle from his nostril.

"You asshole!" Poe hissed, hardly fazed that he now had a steady stream of blood flowing down his face. He lunged back at Hux, his own fist tightly bound. He could feel his fingernails digging into his palm, his skin prickling with anger. Poe was fairly even tempered, usually letting things slide rather than annoy him, but Hux had crossed the line with his insufferable attitude and comments about the Resistance. He wanted to pummel the General as much as the opportunity would allow. Rough him up and knock him down a few pegs. Maybe after that he would actually be tolerable to be around.

Poe's punch caught Hux in the temple. The General's head jerked back from the force of the contact with Poe's knuckles. Hux stumbled back a few steps, dazed from the blow as his ears rang and his head pounded. Poe was unrelenting, charging at him again. Grabbing Hux around his torso, Poe pushed the General back a few steps as Hux frantically tried to work an arm free to get another blow in on the pilot again.

"Go to hell!" Hux growled as they continued to struggle against one another. He wanted nothing more to mess the pilot's face up. Get in another few punches to leave him battered and bloodied, sully that handsome face that so stupidly smirked at him, as if it was constantly mocking him.

Poe wrapped his leg around Hux's, using his lower body strength to bend the General's knee forward. Hux tried to steady himself, but Poe was too strong against him. Hux knew if he continued to resist the pressure the pilot was placing against his leg, it would snap every bone and tendon in him. Both of them fell to the ground, still wrestling against one another in a tangle of limbs, both attempting to gain the upper hand again. Poe maintained his dominance, flipping Hux and pinning him down to the ground with a harsh thud. Hux felt the air knock out of his lungs as Poe pressed his body further into the dirt. His hips straddled Hux's, his hands firmly holding Hux's arms down to restrain him. The pilot's stocky weight made Hux's bones hurt, his legs tingling from the pressure on them.

Hux tried to wriggle one of his arms free from Poe's grasp. He could feel the pilot's fingertips digging into him, squeezing at his skin and bones with brute force, cutting into his flesh worse than the binders ever had. His arms throbbed and he could feel his back sinking into the forest floor from Poe's weight on top of him. He gave into defeat and looked up at Poe. His icy eyes glared at the pilot. Both men were breathing heavily, their chests rising and falling rapidly, adrenaline still coursing through their veins as silence fell around them.

"I should put those restraints back on you" Poe threatened, his voice authoritative as his dark eyes studied Hux's face.

"You are insufferable" Hux sneered back.

"You could have killed me" Poe said firmly.

"I could have, yes" Hux admitted. If he had the chance to gain the upper hand against the pilot, he had no doubt in himself that it might had been a possibly. He was blinded with rage and unbridled bitterness as he fought Poe, leaving very little room for rational thoughts.

Yet, Poe saw something in the General's eyes. Yes, the man loathed him, but there was something else there too, hiding beneath his frustrations and anger.

"But you didn't want to" Poe stated matter of factually.

Hux faltered for a moment but Poe quickly filled the silence.

"I could have killed you too. But unfortunately it's in my orders that I have to keep you alive".

Poe knew he could have managed to free the vibroblade from his boot during the scuffle and pressed it into Hux's body without a second thought about his orders, ending the dispute between them nothing more than a few moments.

Poe didn't want to do that either.

Hux groaned as he tried to adjust his body under Poe's crushing weight. Letting his grip on one of Hux's arms go, Poe reached up to his nose and wiped away a smear of blood with the back of his hand. He looked at the streak of scarlet across his skin and sniffed loudly, preventing any further drops of blood from flowing freely. He could taste metallic and iron against the back of his throat. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, but he could feel his nose throbbing. No doubt it would be bruised for a few days. Luckily, Hux's knuckles hadn't hit him hard enough for anything break.

"You have a hell of a right hook" Poe commented as he wiped his hand against his pant leg. Sitting back a bit, he kept his weight on Hux's lower body but allowed his arms free, allowing him a little room to move. Poe watched Hux's every movement, his body still tense, ready to defend himself if the General decided to attack him again. Instead, Hux's hand reached up and went to his own face, his fingers tracing against his temple. Pressing against his skin, Hux winced as he felt his own swollen flesh from Poe's blow to his eye and cheek.

"I can say the same thing to you" Hux replied, knowing that even without a mirror, his pale skin was marred with a blossoming purple and black bruise around his eye. His head throbbed dully as he lay back against the ground.

"Now, about the restraints. Either you are going back in 'em or we are calling a truce that you aren't going to try anything else".

Hux let out a long sigh. He didn't want to escape. He only attacked Poe because he had gotten on his last nerve. It was a stupid decision on his part. Hux normally could contain his annoyance with others without lashing out directly at them, but something within himself had pushed him over the edge that morning. Any and all decorum he normally dealt with difficult individuals had evaporated in an instant.

"Can you try not to be so intolerable?" Hux questioned in attempts to reach a truce with the pilot.

Poe cocked an eyebrow as the corners of his mouth ticked up into a half smile.

"Intolerable?"

"You never shut up. The humming and singing, the blatant disregard for the fact we are in a survival situation, the fact you are constantly rambling on about something!"

Poe chuckled softly. "I can try. But you've got to be a little nicer to me too. Stop with the snarky comments and huffing constantly. You're a real pain in the ass".

Hux wanted to roll his eyes and make a smart comment just to defy Poe's requests, but instead any words he had got stuck in his throat as he gazed up at the pilot. The sunlight reflected off of Poe's dark curls and made his deep eyes glimmer. Any anger Hux once harbored for the pilot had vanished, leaving behind only the feelings for him that he had been trying so hard to suppress.

Poe studied Hux as he looked down at him. He had done a number on his face. Hux's eyelid was already swollen and the skin around it was covered in a swirl of blues and purples that extended across his sharp cheekbone and towards his hairline. Even in self defense, Poe felt a pang of guilt for hitting Hux so hard. He was still handsome, despite his injury and Poe couldn't resist the draw he felt to the man. He felt as though his body was caught in a tractor beam. His mind was unable to think clearly, to remind him that the man pinned beneath him was a murderer, an enemy, the very essence of everything cruel in the galaxy he fought so hard against.

Without giving his action a second thought, Poe leaned down towards Hux. The General could feel the pilot's weight shifting on him, his face hovering inches from his own. He could feel the warmth from Poe's body as their chests neared each other. The mixture of sweat and a faint hint of engine grease radiated from Poe's skin. It was a smell that Hux had never experienced before and he was instantly addicted to it. Like a first hit of spice, he was hooked. Their mouths pressed together and Hux felt as though time around them had stopped. He could taste Poe's blood against his lips, but also a hint of sweetness. It was exactly how he had imagined the pilot to taste: dirty and dangerous, yet soft and gentle at the same time. His mind raced as his brain tried to piece together what was happening at the moment. His rational side told him to push the pilot off of him, to scream at him in disgust that he would so much as even dare to put his Resistance lips against his own.

But his body made no movement to do such a thing.

He was lost.

Hux was completely entranced by the feeling of the pilot's scruffy jaw against his as his full lips worked his own open. Hux pressed back, slipping his tongue into Poe's mouth, deepening the kiss, proving he wanted more from him.

Poe held the side of Hux's face, tracing his fingers against the General's smooth skin and up his ginger sideburns. Working his fingertips into his hair, Poe held him close to him. He had expected Hux to protest his kiss. Instead, the General who moments ago was trying to destroy him was now melting into him, wanting more of him. He could feel the desperate need from Hux in the intensity in which his mouth was working his own.

It was wrong. Wrong on every level that Poe wanted Hux so badly. This man was everything Poe despised, yet he was so powerfully drawn to him. He couldn't stop himself, memorizing how Hux's lips felt against his own and how soft his reddish hair was as it slid between his calloused fingers. They so easily fell into a rhythmic dance, both disregarding a need for air as they continued to crash against one another, any bitterness the two men once held against each other gone.

Hux felt Poe pull his mouth away from his, an empty void rushing in to fill the space left between them. He let his lungs fill with a deep breath, his head still swimming. He felt Poe's hand leave his hair as the pilot sat upright, leaning back onto his heels above him.

"That shut you up" Hux quipped with a slight smile.

Poe smiled back, looking down at Hux beneath him. He'd been right. The General was incredibly handsome when he smiled, even if it was a small twist at the corners of his lips.

"If that's all it takes for you to cooperate with me, I ain't complaining" Poe replied back smoothly. "I'll keep you in line more often".

Hux tried kept his expression neutral, suppressing the urge to chuckle at how easily the pilot could transfix him, even just with words. Any stoniness he was once able to muster around Poe was gone, the smile still cemented on his face. Inside of him, he fluttered with excitement. He wanted another kiss from the pilot, and another and another.

He felt Poe's weight leave him, allowing him to sit upright as the pilot stood up beside him. Hux pushed himself up off the ground, dusting away bits of dirt and moss that had clung to the fabric of his clothing. He smoothed back his hair, pushing the ginger strands that had fallen loose into his face during the tussle and then had become knotted around Poe's fingers.

Reaching for the pack that had been tossed to the wayside during the fight, Poe swung the nerf leather strap back over his shoulder. The pilot seemed completely unaffected by what had just happened between them as he adjusted the knot of his flight suit around his waist.

"Ready?" Poe asked, noticing Hux was still attempting to piece himself back together as he finished fixing his hair and began working on re-rolling his sleeves up. "We've still got to find a water source".

Hux merely nodded in agreement as he straightened out his cuffed sleeve on his arm. His head still spun a bit, trying to make sense of how he had been punched and kissed by the same person within a matter of minutes. He wasn't about to admit it out loud to Poe, but he had a feeling that the pilot might be right on his hunch as the two set out again, continuing along through the woods, much less disgruntled about the journey than he had been earlier.

"I'll teach you the words to that song if you want" Poe offered as they began down an incline, the trees beginning to thin around them.

"I suppose". Hux was hardly a musician, unable to recall a time he had even so much as hummed a tune to himself in the 'fresher. "What language were you singing in?" he asked curiously.

Instead of giving Hux an answer, Poe instead let out a loud whoop, leaping up into the air as his excited holler echoed through the woods around them. Ahead of them, the forest gave way to a large lake. The lake was sizeable, but not so expansive that they couldn't see the shoreline on the other side. The water was a deep blue and clear enough to see to the bottom. Gentle waves lapped along rocky shoreline. It was more than either of could have asked for when it came to their search for clean water. Hux couldn't help to feel a flurry of excitement at what they had just stumbled upon, taking in the view of the lake before them.

"Told you I had a hunch" Poe said as he made his way down the last bit of the muddy embankment and hopping onto the gravel shoreline with ease, the pebbles crunching under his combat boots.

"You got lucky" Hux replied as he stepped onto the rocks. His boots unexpectedly slipped from beneath him as he tried to adjust to the uneven terrain. He felt a pair of strong hands grasp his shoulders, catching him before he completely lost his balance.

Poe stood before him as Hux steadied himself. Poe's grasp on him didn't falter even after Hux found his footing again. The pilot's touch was gentle and there was a certain softness in his expression as he looked at the General.

"Yeah, maybe we did get lucky".


	3. Chapter 3

Hux worked the last bit of noodles free from the corner of the foil package, spearing them onto his fork and savoring the final bite. The rehydrated meal was far from gourmet, but was filling and surprisingly tasty with a hint of spice that he had not expected from a military meal meant for survival situations. Setting the empty packet aside, he leaned back on his palms and took in his surroundings. The sunlight was warm on his face and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees behind them. Aside from the dull throbbing in his temple, Hux was surprisingly content. It was a strange feeling considering his circumstances and one he couldn't remember if he had ever felt before.

Poe stood from beside him, kicking off his boots and pulling his feet from his socks without a word. He began working the knot of his flight suit loose from around his waist, letting the orange fabric fall away from his body, leaving him only in an undershirt and khaki fatigue pants.

"What are you doing?" Hux asked, trying to figure out what sort of ludicrous idea was running through the pilot's head.

"Going for a swim" Poe replied casually as he worked the buckle free from his leather belt and unfastened his pants. "If you forgot" he added with a teasing smile, gesturing to his face that was still smeared with mud and dried blood "some guy tried to beat the shit out of me earlier".

Hux let out a small chuckle before swallowing hard. He was trying his best not to stare as Poe let the khaki fabric fall down to his ankles. The pilot kicked his pants in the direction of the pile of clothing he'd already removed. Falling short of reaching his discarded jumpsuit, they instead landed on the rocky shoreline in a crumpled mess. Poe didn't seem to notice, or care, as he pulled his undershirt over his head, exposing his muscular chest.

Hux stifled his reaction to the sight with a poor excuse of a fake cough. Forcing himself to avert his eyes for moment, he tried to regain his composure.

"What if there's some creature in there?" Hux managed to call out to the pilot, who in just a few seconds had already darted down to the water's edge in nothing more than his olive green boxers.

"Not too worried. Water's clear. Can see straight to the bottom" Poe called back as he waded his way further into the lake. The rocky shoreline gave way to a smooth, sandy bottom as he ventured further in.

As the water enveloped his waist, Poe allowed himself to fall back into the lake. The water was pleasantly warm and felt wonderful as it overtook his body, washing away the dirt and grime from his skin. Emerging from beneath the surface, he shook his wet hair, pushing back his curls and letting his hands run over his face. His nose throbbed as his fingers passed over the bruising. He could still feel bits of dried blood caked onto his chin and in the scruff along his upper lip. Cupping his hands, he filled them with water, splashing it against his face, working loose any remaining evidence of the fight earlier.

Hux stood on the shore, watching Poe splash about in the water. It did look inviting. The midday sun beat down on his shoulders that were still covered by his thick black satin shirt.

 _What do I have to lose?_

The pilot seemed preoccupied enough in the water to not be paying him any attention. Beneath the rigid facade he maintained, Hux had always been self conscious about his slim build. He wished he somehow could be as stocky and muscular as someone like Poe was. His tall, thin frame was fodder for teasing during his youth. Taking a deep breath, his fingers began working the buttons down the front of his shirt loose, exposing the black undershirt he wore underneath.

Poe looked towards the shore, noticing Hux removing his boots and pulling his legs free of his pants. He bobbed in the water, observing how the General was so methodical about neatly folding his clothing where his were strewn about the rocks in crumpled disorder.

Poe watched as Hux, who was now only dressed in a black undershirt and a pair of black boxers stepped gingerly across the rocks towards the edge of the water. The General's pale skin seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. The pilot was transfixed on how the light played off Hux's red hair, making the strands glisten in the most alluring of ways.

"It ain't gonna bite you!" Poe called out playfully.

Hux shot him a disapproving look as he let the water lap over his feet and onto his ankles. He was hardly scared of swimming, it had just been so long since he had actually done it. Years spent aboard ships had left him with little time planet side, and never enough time for any recreational activities. He made his way further into the lake. The clear water sloshed around his waist before he decided to push off the rocky bottom, allowing himself to glide deeper into the lake.

The water felt good. Hux forgot how weightless and free one felt when swimming. Letting the water wash away the sweat and grime from his skin, he let himself disappear beneath the lake's surface for a moment.

Coming back up, Hux opened his eyes. The bright sunlight reflecting off the water forced him to squint. Everything was silent. The empty lake stretched out in front of him as a momentary panic overtook him.

 _Where did Poe go? Oh gods._

Feeling a spray of water across his back along accompanied with a low rumble of laughter, Hux turned around just in time to hear a second slap against the water and to be fully drenched by a splash of water against his face.

Poe's deep eyes sparkled with mischievousness as Hux brushed away the droplets from his face.

"I thought we called a truce" Hux exclaimed.

"We did. Can't help but to mess with you though".

"You don't know how a truce works, do you?"

"I know how it works" Poe said as he treaded water in front of him.

Hux's height allowed him to touch the bottom still, even if it was on his tip toes. He reached out for Poe's side, his fingers weightlessly tracing up against his skin. He felt Poe's muscles ripple under his skin as his body worked to keep itself afloat. Hux wanted nothing more than to hold him, pull him close in his embrace so the pilot didn't have to try to keep his head above water. Anything to feel his bare chest against his.

Hux sensed the space between them closing in, almost feeling the heat from Poe's body through the gentle ripples of water that still separated them. Hux's lips were parted, but no words came to him as he looked at Poe. His damp curls hung over his eyes as his tanned shoulders bobbed up and down in the water. He wanted nothing more than for Poe to press his lips against his.

"We've still got work to do" Poe said, causing Hux to snap back to reality. He felt Poe's body pull away from his touch, the water lapping and swirling as it filled the space the pilot had occupied just seconds before. With a swift kick, Poe had already began swimming back towards the shoreline.

Hux faltered for a moment, confused at Poe's sudden departure. Pushing himself off the sandy lake bottom with more force that he needed to, he begrudgingly followed suit.

* * *

Hux picked up his satin shirt and pulled it over his damp undershirt, leaving it unbuttoned, at least until his clothing had dried out some. Glancing over at Poe, the pilot was leaning against a fallen log, pulling on his combat boots in nothing more than his soaked underwear. He looked absolutely ridiculous, but the General understood his reasoning. The rocky shoreline was unpleasant underfoot, the gravel sharp and uneven. He gingerly stepped over the rocks, making his way towards Poe. Pulling himself onto the fallen log, Hux positioned himself against the bark in a comfortable matter. He could already feel the strong sunlight evaporating the moisture from his soaked clothing.

"What if we relocated camp here?" Hux propositioned. "We wouldn't have to walk to fetch water and that alcove over there looks like a suitable shelter".

Poe looked in the direction Hux was pointing in, raising his hand to block the sun from his eyes. Further down the shoreline, larger rocks jutted out from the ground forming a natural roof-like structure around what looked to be a small cave.

Poe thought over Hux's words. The General had a valid point. Poe knew that the Resistance would find them eventually. He'd sent out one last transmission of their coordinates as the ship had began plummeting towards the planet. They only needed to stay in the approximate area and to be in an open space to be found. The lakeshore was a much better option than hidden away in the forest.

"Not a bad idea, Gingersnaps" Poe said as he turned back to the General, letting his hand fall back to his side.

Hux let out a sigh as he absentmindedly played with the hem of his shorts, checking to see if they had dried completely yet. "The nicknames. You've got to stop with them".

"Alright, alright" the pilot conceded. "I'll stop".

* * *

It had been a much quicker journey to and from the clearing to collect the rest of the supplies than the one that morning to the lake. Granted, there was no argument to slow them down, they had walked hardly exchanging words with one another. Poe had hummed for part of the walk. A different song than before, Hux noticed, but for the most part the pilot seemed focused on collecting what they needed and getting back to the lake as quick as possible.

Poe seemed even more concentrated once they had made their way down to the rocky alcove. Finding it suitable as a shelter, Poe cleared out some dried leaves from the corners, dragging the side of his boot against the ground until the floor was clean enough. He arranged the supply boxes, stacking them on top of one another against one of the walls and laying his flight suit over the top of them. Contented with the shelter, he hopped off the edge of the rock and brushed past Hux, who was sitting on the ledge.

Hux glanced back over his shoulder as Poe disappeared into the nearby wooded area, stopping every few feet to grab pieces of fallen wood. He wondered what had changed within the pilot. The normally chatty, noisy man seemed to had gone mute since Hux had touched him in the lake. He seemed to be avoiding conversation with him as much as possible, redirecting his energy into getting their new camp settled.

"Do you need help?" Hux offered, watching as Poe quickly arranged the wood he had gathered in the makeshift firepit on the gravel shoreline.

Snapping a twig against his knee, Poe glanced up for a moment at Hux.

"I'm good" he replied, his voice flat and even without even so much as a hint of emotion to it.

The pilot brushed his hands against his legs before reaching for the small book of matches. Striking the match stick against the flint, a spark ignited and danced as he lowered it to the kindling. Satisfied that the fire had caught properly, Poe stood up. He stepped back up the rocky edge and disappeared back into the shelter.

Hux stared at the flames, watching as the swirls of oranges of yellows dance between the logs as they crackled and popped. He could hear Poe doing something behind him in the shelter, the sound of his boots echoing and scraping against the stone. He hear the pilot mutter something under his breath. The words were undistinguishable to him if they were in Basic or another tongue, interrupted by the sound of a supply box being clicked open and items being shuffled around inside of it.

"Here" Poe said as he stepped besides Hux, tossing a ration bar down to him. It caught Hux by surprise as he jerked his hands up from his lap to catch the bar.

"Thanks" Hux said flatly.

Poe sat down, leaving a birth of space between him and Hux. He crossed his legs under himself and became occupied with peeling away the foil wrapper from the ration bar before taking a large bite.

"Does anyone even know we are here?" Hux asked.

Poe finished chewing, swallowing down the mouthful of the sticky food. "There's no doubt they received the final mayday transmission. Who knows how long it will take for them to get here though".

Hux processed the information. The Resistance knew they had crashed. If they were dead or alive was still a mystery to them.

"How far were we from your base?"

"That's classified information" Poe stated bluntly before taking another bite.

Hux nodded, working the wrapper open from his own bar open. He wasn't particularly hungry but knew it was best to eat when food was offered to him. Poe's change in demeanor bothered him. His stomach felt tight as his mind tried to rationalize everything.

Hux couldn't stop his thoughts to wandering back to Poe's kiss. The solid weight of the pilot's body on top of him, the way his dark scruff dragged across his skin as their lips pressed together. The feeling that the galaxy had somehow stopped in that moment. Hux racked his brain, trying to think if somehow he had misinterpreted the kiss. He came up empty. The passion wasn't one sided. The pilot had caressed his bruises and tangled his fingers in his hair.

Poe studied Hux from the corner of his eye. The General seemed worried about something. His brow was creased as he blankly stared at the fire with his opened, but untouched, ration bar in his hand. He had expected if Hux was upset about something, he would have easily gone back to snapping and berating Poe as he had done before.

"They'll find us. Even if they just have rough coordinates, they'll search until we're found" Poe offered, wondering if the fact they were stranded could be the reason behind the General's oddly quiet mood.

Poe had gone on search and rescue missions with less information to go off of than what he knew base communications had about their location. The Resistance always tried to find any downed pilots, even if it took hours of looping back around an area to scan the surface over and over again, hoping to pick up a reading below. Poe never lost hope on his own missions, flying over last known locations until he was practically out of fuel, knowing his comrades would do the same for him.

"They couldn't stand to lose me" Hux said somberly. The Resistance had a First Order General in their hands. There was no way they would just leave something as valuable as him out in the woods.

"I'm out here too" Poe reminded Hux. "The Resistance needs me back".

"You want to go back" Hux said bluntly. "That's the life you chose".

Poe nodded silently as Hux continued.

"You'll go back to your life as you knew it. Your ship, your friends, that little droid of yours".

"That droid has a name" Poe said firmly, as if he was a little offended.

Hux opened his mouth, but quickly shut it again before any words came out. _"It was a pain in my ass when that droid went missing, you know that? In fact, it was a pain in my ass when you escaped too"._ He still didn't feel any resentment for any of his actions that the Resistance labeled as so called _crimes_ , but what Kylo Ren had done to Poe weighed on his conscious now. He'd read the reports, he knew what the Force user was capable of doing to another's mind.

"Do you want to go back?" Poe asked as he turned slightly, adjusting his body to face Hux. "Do you want the life you had in the Order again?"

Hux looked out towards the lake, watching the waves ripple across the surface. He felt as though everything about his life was currently suspended in some sort of strange purgatory. Breaking his glance from the water, he looked over at the pilot.

"I'm not sure what I want anymore" Hux admitted.

Poe rested his hand against Hux's thigh. The pilot's fingers began tracing a lazy pattern against the stiff uniform fabric of the General's pant leg. Hux could feel his skin goosebumping, as if Poe's touch was sending invisible electricity through his body. He leaned forward closing the space between them as he pressed his lips against Poe's. Hux wrapped his hand around the back of Poe's neck, working his fingers into his hair as he pulled him closer to deepen the kiss.

The rest of the galaxy be damned. All he wanted right now was here before him.


	4. Chapter 4

Poe and Hux found themselves falling into a routine with one another over the next few days. The rocky alcove alongside the lake had become a bit like home for them. Despite the crude surroundings, they had become comfortable enough for a quiet trust to develop with one another. Poe, at first, only left Hux for short amounts of time to collect firewood or to fetch water, never wandering far from the campsite. The two soon began to trade off tasks, one picking up where the other had left off, neither questioning each other of what needed to be done. It was an easy rhythm, one with little agenda other than the basics to survive and to wait for rescue to come.

This particular morning was different though. Poe packed his small bag with a few rations and a canteen of water. As he pulled on his jacket, Hux awoke surprised to see the pilot up and ready for the day already. Hux was usually the one wake first. The general would rekindle the fire to boil enough water to rehydrate a package of rations for the both of them before Poe would stir in his sleep and mumble a lazy good morning to him.

"Where are you going?" Hux asked curiously as he sat up from their makeshift bed. He realized the small alcove was much brighter than usual. Strong sunlight poured in from the entrance, casting short shadows against the rocky walls. It was at least mid-morning he figured to himself as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Thought I'd go out and explore. Maybe try and find us something to eat besides rations".

"Am I not invited?"

"Figured you'd stay here and watch the camp" Poe replied as he swung the strap of his pack over his shoulder.

Hux nodded silently, not quite sure why the pilot suddenly felt the need to venture out into the wilderness on his own. The idea of fresh food was appealing though and he knew he'd be of little help having no hunting or fishing skills to offer if he tagged along. He gave orders to end lives, not sully his own hands with blood of creatures in the wild.

"I won't be gone long" Poe added as he stepped over to Hux. Leaning down, the pilot kissed the general in reassurance. What was once just scruff along Poe's jawline had quickly filled into a full beard that was soft and dark, flecked with a few stray gray hairs that glimmered silver in the light.

Hux watched as Poe jumped off the rocky ledge at the entrance of the alcove with a playful bounce in his step as he made his way down the shoreline. The canteen that was affixed to the outside of the pack swung with his movements, clanking against the brass buckles in a rhythm that the pilot began to hum along to. Even when Poe was nearly a klick down the shoreline, Hux could still faintly hear his racket. The noise the pilot seemed to naturally generate hardly bothered him anymore. Instead he found it endearing, another quirk about Poe that made him smile to himself and a long forgotten feeling stir in his stomach.

Hux ran his hand over his chin, feeling his own beard coming in beneath his fingers. It was nowhere near as thick as the pilots yet, but still substantial. Aside from military regulations, he had habitually kept clean shaven in his former life. His beard came in as copper as his hair and Hux had always been slightly self conscious about it. Hux reached for his shirt, tugging the fabric over his arms as he stood up. Working the buttons closed, he debated waiting until Poe returned to eat, unsure if the pilot had locked the boxes that contained the rations when he left or not.

Curiosity got the best of Hux as he made his way over the stack of metal boxes that sat against the wall. Poe had left his flight suit behind, draped over the top of the silver storage containers. Hux picked up the suit, running his hand over the stiff collar. The suit smelled of Poe, a faint hint of stardust and fighter jet fumes that seemed to forever be embedded in the fabric despite the dirt and dust that had collected on it. Inside the collar, Aurebesh lettering spelled out Dameron in black stitching. The threads that formed the letters were faded and fraying at the edges from wear. He'd never physically held a Resistance uniform before. It felt strange in his hand, lighter and softer than any of his own uniform clothing. The fabric was near threadbare yet still surprisingly sturdy. Studying the flight suit he noticed a small canvas patch sewn in the interior. It was stiffer than the rest of the uniform, no doubt coated in some kind of protective barrier to ward off fire and water. It again read Poe's last name and in smaller print below, a series of numbers, the pilot's blood type and homeworld. It was a dog tag, Hux noted to himself, but affixed to the uniform unlike the metal necklaces that First Order pilots would wear with similar information. It was a grim reminder that every time Poe took off in his X Wing, there was a very real possibility that he might not come back. The uniform patch being the only final identifier of who the man inside of the jumpsuit was if something was to happen to him.

Setting Poe's flight suit aside, Hux unclasped the metal hinges on the top box. Finding it unlocked, he rummaged through the various bars and rehydratable meal pouches. At the bottom, he found a small cellophane bag of multicolored candy. Removing it from the box, he made his way to the ledge at the entrance to the alcove, crossing his legs beneath him as he sat against the sun-warmed rock.

Opening the bag, Hux drew out one of the candies. He'd never seen such a thing before. The First Order would never spend money including treats in a survival kit and he wondered why the Resistance would either. They seemed to care more about the moral of their personnel than the First Order did, treating their soldiers as individuals rather than expendable numbers. It was a concept that was foreign to Hux and one he didn't dwell long on as he worked the silver closure free from the top of the bag. He took hold of one of the candies in his hand looking down at it with a strange fascination. Oval and slightly glossy, Hux turned the green and blue striped sweet over in his fingers before popping it in his mouth. It was sour at first, which made his face grimace before the hard candy began to soften, giving way to a sweet semi-liquid center. He couldn't quite place the flavor. It was some kind of fruit with a tart aftertaste to it. He generally favored richer desserts. Thick cakes of spice or dark cocoa, not fruit flavored candies, but whatever these were delicious. As the first candy melted away in his mouth he made quick work of fishing out another from the bag. The next one was a swirl red and yellow and was considerably sweeter tasting. He recognized the flavor this time- sweetmelon and farrberry, two of his favorites combined into one delightful confection. He allowed himself a few more treats, feeling a bit like a child tasting sweets for the first time as he tried the remaining colors in the package. He'd rarely been allowed such delicacies as a young boy. His father would tell him he was undeserving of such rewards, that he was weak-willed and useless. As an adult, he took what he wanted and rewarded himself as he saw fit.

* * *

Hazy sunlight cast long shadows across the lake as the afternoon drew on. Waves rippled across the surface of the lake, capping with frothy peaks of white as they lapped against the rocky shoreline. Against trees on the far side of the lake, low storm clouds had begun to gather at the horizon line. Poe had been gone longer than Hux had expected the pilot to leave him alone for, which concerned him. Hux examined the sky, debating if there would be enough light left in the day left to go out and search for Poe. A stiff breeze blew across the lake, rustling the satin of his shirt as he stood at the entrance of the alcove. He studied the clouds as a distant rumble of thunder echoed through the forest. The golden streaks of sunlight were quickly being replaced with an ominous inky darkness as the storm clouds drew nearer.

Thunder cracked above as Hux made his way around the alcove. Preparing to go search for Poe, he pulled on his great coat on before kneeling down to tuck his pants into the tops of his boots. His mind began to rush with an endless list of horrible things that might have happened to the pilot.

 _Attacked by some wild creature. Somehow hurt. Lost in the forest and unable to find his way back._

A flash of lightning brightened the sky for a moment before Hux heard the first drops of rain splash against the rock above him. He let out a long groan and hurried to the entrance, prepared to try and at least make it to the cover of the forest before the rain really began to fall. Pulling his collar up on his coat, he fastened a button to secure it before stopping in his tracks. The rain outside sheered down nearly horizontally as a gust of wind howled towards him.

Resigned to wait until the storm passed, or at least calmed some to leave, Hux unfastened the front his coat and began to pace the floor back and forth. His stomach churned as he occasionally glanced towards the doorway. _Since when do you care so deeply about the pilot?_ His mind nagged at him, his thoughts still racing as he watched another thick bolt of lightning illuminate the lake in an eerie bluish glow before the sky dropped back into darkness. He turned and made his way towards the back of the shelter, away from the storm. There was nothing more he could do for the time being.

* * *

"Kriffing hell!" Poe exclaimed as he jumped up the rocky ledge and into the alcove. He held his jacket held up over his head, but his shirt and khaki pants had been soaked through by the driving rainstorm. He lowered his arms, catching his coat in his hands and shaking the nerf leather free of any remaining water before tossing it atop the stack of metal crates.

"Where were you?" Hux practically exclaimed as the pilot set his drenched pack down. A strange mixture of aggravation and relief overtook him as he spoke. He was glad Poe had made it back unharmed but anger welled inside of him at the fact he'd been gone so long and had been so careless to be caught in the storm.

Droplets of rainwater splattered across the stone floor as Poe kicked off his waterlogged boots. "I went back to the ship. Curious to see what it looked like, I guess" he explained. "I searched around the area, hoping to come across some kind of game while I was there. No luck on that idea".

"It was a stupid idea" Hux said bluntly, unable to control his annoyance any longer. "You should have paid attention to the weather and you wouldn't have found yourself in this situation".

"Been through worse" Poe nonchalantly replied as he pulled his shirt off over his head and rang the fabric out before setting it aside to dry alongside his jacket.

Hux stood still at Poe's words. He knew exactly what the pilot meant by them. Being prisoner of the First Order clearly had left scars, not only physical ones but mental ones too. Yet, he somehow remained ever the optimist.

"I didn't mean that. I was..." Hux paused for a moment trying to find the right way to phase what he wanted to say. He'd never conveyed such an emotion to another person before. "I was worried about you".

Poe's eyebrow ticked up slightly in surprise at the general's admittance. "The unfailing, unyielding Armitage Hux was _worried_ about me?"

"I…" Hux faltered, wishing suddenly he hadn't shown such weakness. "I was concerned for your well being that's all".

"You don't seem that tough when you've been snacking on candy" Poe replied with a chuckle as he noticed the half empty cellophane bag on the ground. Bending at the waist, he picked it up with two fingers. "I didn't think you'd be one with a sweet tooth".

Poe wiggled his fingers into the cellophane, seeking out a red and yellow candy- his personal favorite of the assortment. "I haven't had one of these in forever. They used to give them out on Remembrance Day".

Hux knew of the holiday. One that he'd never celebrated. A day to remember fallen Republic soldiers that had been created after the Battle of Yavin and so happened to fall on the same day as Empire Day. As a child, he had heard whispers of the other galactic holiday. How the Rebellion celebrated in the Corellian streets with parades commemorating the defeat of the Empire. Banners with declarations of the greatness of the Alliance, honoring the so called heroes of the war that had brought the Imperials to their knees. As a child, Hux had listened to his father and his comrades mutter under their breaths at the _disgusting_ display put on by the New Republic year after year.

"Would you go to the celebrations?" Hux asked, wondering what Poe had experienced of the event himself.

"Of course. Everyone I knew was part of the Rebellion in some way or another" Poe said easily before working another candy free from the bag. "I was always interested in seeing all the ships. All kinds of different fighters would do fly overs and tricks and I was enamored with 'em".

Hux easily pictured Poe as a child, just as wild haired and bright eyed as he was now, pointing to the sky in excitement as ships roared overhead. The pilot seemed to be born with jet fuel in his blood.

"Did you celebrate? For the Empire?" Poe asked as he extended the bag in his hand towards Hux, offering him some more of the sweets to him.

"No" Hux answered bluntly before popping another candy into his mouth. "Not at least in that fashion. It was usually a somber day for us".

"Oh" Poe commented as he worked the silver wire closure around the top of the cellophane to secure the bag closed. "I guess from your side there wasn't much to celebrate after the war".

As he set aside the candy, Hux noticed the pilot shivering a little as he moved. His tanned arms were prickled with goosebumps and his hair was still damp with rain. Thunder rumbled overhead as the storm continued to rage on outside of the alcove. The wind whistled in between cracks in the rock as Hux shrugged off his coat offering it over to Poe. "You look cold" he commented as he held out his arm, the fabric of his coat dangling from the tips of his fingers.

"You know there's other ways to warm me up" Poe said impishly as he stepped closer to Hux. Taking the coat from Hux's grasp, instead of putting in, he cast it aside. The pilot's fingers instantly gravitated towards Hux's jawline, pushing up through the mass of ginger beard. "I like you with some scruff on you".

Hux closed the remaining space between them, dismissing any former embarrassment he harbored about his ginger facial hair. He _liked_ that Poe enjoyed it, rather than poking fun at the color like so many before him had. His fingers found themselves at the back of Poe's neck, twisting his damp curls between them as he looked into the pilot's dark eyes. "Too bad once the Resistance finds us, they won't let me keep it".

Poe shook his head slowly. "No" he said, his voice low and gravelly. "Don't worry about that right now".

"No?" Hux questioned softly. It was the first he'd heard the pilot dismiss his own so easily, but he had little time to challenge him on the matter as he felt Poe's lips press against his.

"No. Right now, it's just us" Poe said gently as the kiss broke momentarily between the two.

"Just us" Hux echoed back. "Just us".

* * *

 _A/N: Took some liberties with the idea of Remembrance/ Empire Day from "Star Wars Galaxies". Also, the candy Hux finds in the survival box according to Wookipedia is called "Favorites of the Force" but I thought that was a really stupid name for a candy, so left that bit out of the story. Apologies for taking so long for an update, but I actually wrote the rest of the story first and then felt like Poe and Hux hadn't really been stranded together long enough, so decided to add in another chapter. Once I've got the final chapter edited (there's a short epilogue too), those should be up soon._


	5. Chapter 5

The storm had passed during the night, leaving dawn tinged with pinkish hues as the early light filtered into the alcove. Poe could feel Hux's chest rising and falling beneath him, his breaths short and shallow. The pilot's dark curls fanned out against his bare chest as the two lay on their makeshift bed together inside of the alcove. The pilot relished in the quiet simplicity of the moment, of just the two of them together.

Poe pressed a light kiss against Hux's chest before looking up at the General. Resting his chin against his pale skin, the pilot reached up and pushed away a few strands of ginger hair that had fallen into his eyes during the night. Hux's arm was wrapped around Poe, holding him close as he traced a lazy pattern with the tips of his fingers against Poe's side. There were a smattering of long scars against the pilot's ribcage. He had felt them before. He silently wondered to himself how the pilot earned such marks, but didn't raise questions for the story behind them. The answer he knew was one he might not want to hear.

Poe picked his head up from Hux's chest. At first, the pilot wasn't sure if he was imagining the sound, a figment of his imagination playing tricks on him.

 _No._

He knew that sound. It was as familiar to him as his own heartbeat.

"What?" Hux asked curiously. His fingers against the pilot's skin stilled as he lifted his head up to look at Poe.

The ground shook beneath them as the distant roar grew louder, echoing through the air.

"They found us!" Poe exclaimed as he jumped up, grabbing his bright flight suit from the spot it had sat in for days and pulled it over his legs as quickly as possible.

Hux knew that sound too, one that once had elicited fear of an attack. The roar of Resistance fighter engines. He scrambled to his feet, his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he pulled his own shirt on. He knew the days they had spent together on the planet had been on borrowed time, a false sense that the galaxy and the war somehow had stopped, or at least forgotten about them. He hadn't expected for reality to come back so abruptly, roaring across the morning sky in a noisy blaze.

Poe jumped down from the alcove and hurried down the shoreline into a clear area, his head tilted skyward. The sound of engines was practically deafening as a lone X Wing flew over the lake. Poe stood with his arms raised, waving his hands back and forth, hoping that the pilot would see him. The water ripped and eddied as the ship passed over the lake, the wind kicking up around him. The ship had showed no signs of slowing down as it continued on.

Hux scrambled down the gravel towards Poe.

"Did they see you?" Hux asked as he reached the pilot.

Poe lowered his arm, pressing his hand against Hux's chest.

"Shush" Poe instructed as he scanned the horizon line.

The noise was a distant rumble once again, muffled by the thick forest. Poe listened intently, studying the sound. He could hear the engine's rumble change from a low growl to a higher pitch. Even from the ground, Poe seemed to be attuned to exactly what the ship was doing in flight. Every click and whir a second language to him, even if he wasn't behind the controls.

"They're coming back around".

In a matter of seconds, the gray and red ship appeared back into view. It slowed in speed this pass as it rounded the lake in a wide circle. Hux watched as Poe raised his arms again, crossing his wrists above his head in a pattern of threes. It was a silent signal, one that the General did not understand, but clearly the Resistance pilot did.

Landing along the shoreline, the X wing kicked up a gushing swirl of dirt and air as it bumped against the uneven ground. The top hatch opened as the ship's engines shut down, the once deafening noise cooling to a subtle hum. Poe skipped a few steps as he made his way towards the ship. A pilot emerged, swinging his legs over the edge and dropping down to the gravel below.

"Dameron, you son of a bitch! Am I happy to see you!" the pilot exclaimed as he pulled Poe into a tight embrace. "Saw the wreckage back there. Leave it to you to somehow walk away from that".

Poe laughed as the pilot let go of him.

"You know I've always had good luck" Poe said, clapping the pilot against the shoulder.

"Where is the prisoner?" the pilot asked, his tone quickly turning serious.

Before Poe could say anything, the pilot noticed Hux standing further down the shoreline from them.

"What the kriff?" the pilot exclaimed as he stepped around Poe. He drew his blaster, aiming it squarely on Hux's chest as he began walking towards the General.

"You! On your knees! Now!" he ordered sharply.

Hux complied, dropping to his knees on the rocky shoreline and placing his hands behind his head. He intertwined his fingers together as the pilot approached him. He could feel the dampness of the shoreline soaking through the fabric of his pants as he knelt on the jagged gravel. The pilot's blaster never wavered from the center of his chest and Hux made no attempt to fight or flee. He was cornered, patiently waiting as the pilot approached him. There was nowhere, or reason, to try and escape his fate.

Hux felt the pilot wrap his hand around his wrists, fingernails cutting into his skin as he took hold of him. The end of his blaster pressed against his neck. The cold metal against his skin a sharp reminder that this man would put a bolt into him without a second thought.

"Dameron! You got restraints?" the pilot called down the shore.

Poe nodded. He pulled the binders that had been around Hux's wrists during the crash from a pocket on his flight suit as he crossed the distance between them before handing them over to the pilot. His dark eyes met Hux's for moment before the General dropped his gaze to the ground. There was no fear in them, not even for a fleeting second. Hux knew this was the end.

The pilot yanked back Hux's arms, fastening the cuffs around his wrists, double and triple checking he had secured them properly with forceful pulls. The pilot stepped back, taking a long look at the General bound and helpless on his knees on the muddy rocks before him.

"Kriffin' filth" the pilot snarled with a low growl. "Can't wait to see you pay for what you've done". He raised his foot and pressed his boot into Hux's back, pushing the General forward into the dirt. Without his hands free to catch his fall, Hux fell forward. He landed with a thud, his cheek pressed against the gravel.

"Hey!" Poe exclaimed, clearly shocked at the pilot's action towards Hux.

Poe stepped closer, grabbing onto Hux's elbow before pulling him back to his knees. He held his grip as Hux fumbled to his feet. He kept a loose hold on the crook of his elbow. Poe gave Hux's arm a gentle squeeze, a silent gesture of reassurance.

"Don't tell me you feel sorry for him, Dameron" the pilot spat.

Poe shot the pilot a dark look. No matter who their prisoner might be, that was no way to treat another human being. He kept his hold on Hux, wishing he could brush away the dirt from his face.

The trees swirled again as another roar of engine noise came overhead. This time, a transport ship much like the one Poe and Hux had crashed in came into view. As the ship set down along the lakeshore, the boarding ramp lowered and two Resistance soldiers trotted down the ramp, both securely holding weapons in front of them, fingers hovering over the triggers.

"Report back both are alive. Prisoner is unharmed and detained" one the soldiers murmured into a comlink as they approached.

"Commander Dameron. Are you hurt?" a soldier asked as he stopped before Poe. His stance was rigid as he addressed him.

"No, sir" Poe answered honestly.

The soldier's brow ticked up slightly in an expression of doubt as he stared at Poe's bruised nose but did not press the issue any further.

"Collect any personal artifacts and we will be on our way" the soldier instructed to him as he took hold of Hux.

Poe watched as the soldiers led Hux towards the transport ship before turning and making his way back to the alcove. He straightened out his flight suit, pulling his jacket over it and collected the metal survival boxes. Scanning the area, Poe looked for anything they might have left behind. He noticed Hux's great coat in a rumpled pile on the floor. Picking it up, he folded the heavy fabric trying his best to match the careful way Hux would have if it was still in his possession. He tucked the coat beneath his own, disguising it from view as he made his way back to the ship.

Poe settled into a mesh seat along the edge of the cargo area. He could hear the ship's crew rustling around in the cockpit. Distant radio chatter and footfalls of combat boots against durasteel floor grating echoed around him as the the ship's engines whined. He leaned back, his arm resting protectively against his side, securing Hux's coat in its hiding place. His thoughts began to race at the item. _What would he say if someone was to find the item on him? It would raise questions. Why would one of the Resistance's most loyal pilots want a piece of a First Order uniform? Could he pass it off as a spoil of war, a memory of his survival alongside one of the galaxy's most feared men? If so, would anyone actually believe his story?_ He wished he had just left the coat behind in the alcove, forgotten along with everything that had transpired on the planet. His stomach lurched as the ship entered into a hyperspace jump.

Hux was lead in a small windowless bunk. The room had been cleared of any items except for a low metal platform that in other circumstances would serve as a bed frame. There was no mattress on it. It was clear to him that the Resistance did not have ships fitted with actual cells for prisoners and made due with what they had. Two soldiers stood at the doorway, silently watching with their fingers over blaster triggers as a third man stepped forward.

"I will remove your restraints so you can change" the man said as he pointed to a folded gray shirt and pant set that rested on the bunk platform. "My men have shoot to kill orders if you try anything. Do you understand?"

"Seems like your men would love to put a blaster bolt through me" Hux replied coolly as he glanced over at the soldiers guarding the door. Their faces were expressionless, but he could see the disdain for him in their eyes, watching his every move.

The man let out a long breath, as if he was gathering courage as he took hold of Hux's wrists to unfasten the binders. He took a step back as he freed the General, waiting for him to try something.

Instead, Hux silently obeyed. Unbuttoning his shirt, he removed the satin fabric and reached for the faded gray prisoner uniform. He could feel the men's stares boring into his back as he pulled the scratchy linen over his head.

"Should I put on a little show? Really give you gentleman something to stare at?" Hux chided as he turned to face the soldiers. He could see them tense at his unexpected movement.

"We don't have all day. Boots...pants….off...let's go" the man ordered firmly, unfazed by Hux's comments as he pointed to the remaining Order uniform he still wore.

Obliging to the man's wishes, Hux divested himself of the rest of his former clothing, replacing it without any further snarky comments with the Resistance prison garb. The man stepped forward again, ordering his hands behind his back before replacing the binders on his wrists. Hux watched as the man picked up his clothing from the floor with a look of disgust on his face as he balled up the tattered black fabric in his arms before turning to leave the room. The soldiers followed as the door whooshed closed behind them, whirring and clicking as the locking mechanism was activated.

Hux sat on the edge of the bed frame, rolling his shoulders to relieve his aching joints of the pressure the binders placed on them before using his feet to push himself back towards the wall. The room was cold. He'd been detained without his coat and the thin material of the baggy fabric that hung around his lanky frame did little to ward off the chill.

 _My coat._

Hux thought back to the shelter, remembering how his great coat had been draped over their bodies as a makeshift blanket just a few hours before. He recalled Poe's weight against him as they lay beneath it, how his dark curls fanned out against his pale chest as the pilot lay against him.

 _What does it matter anymore?_

Leaning back against the wall, Hux tried to make himself as comfortable as he could be in his current situation. He had no idea how long the journey to the Resistance base would be. He'd felt the ship jump to hyperspace shortly after the soldiers had left him, but had no idea if it was a journey that would take hours or days. He was a prisoner again. The freedom an unexpected crash landing provided was only a brief interruption to a course of events that had already been set into motion. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he rested his head against the cold wall. Between the humming of the ship's hyperdrive and internal systems, he could hear muffled voices through the durasteel. Adjusting his body slightly, he listened intently, trying to make out the conversation taking place on the other side of the wall. There seemed to be two men and a woman chatting, their words muffled but distinguishable.

" _Leave it to Dameron to be stranded with a kriffing murderer and somehow make it out alive"_

" _I heard Commander Droma landed and_ _found him unrestrained. Just walking around like they were on vacation or something"._

" _What?"_ another voice exclaimed with audible shock in it. _"Just strolling around?"_

" _Yeah"._

" _Did you get a look at the bastard's face when they brought him on board? I heard Dameron did a number on it"._

" _I've give fifty credits to find out what happened while they were stuck out there"._

" _Dameron should have killed him when he got the chance"._

The group's voices faded out as if they had gotten up and moved elsewhere to continue their gossiping. It was no surprise to Hux that everyone on board the ship shared a mutual hatred of him. Hux wondered where Poe was while his comrades rattled on about him. He'd never witnessed the pilot surrounded by his own, but he couldn't imagine Poe to be the type to participate in idle chatter. He let out a long breath as he leaned his head back against the wall once again. The ship's systems whirred and clicked, echoing through the durasteel.

There was nothing more to do than wait.

Hux had almost fallen asleep as he heard the door to the bunk whoosh open. With a jerk, he picked his head up. He curiously looked towards the doorway as a shadowy figure entered the room. The dim light made it difficult at first to distinguish any of the man's features. Hux figured it was probably a soldier checking on him as he sat up and the man stepped into the light.

Instead of nameless soldier, he saw Poe.

Quickly shutting the door behind him, the pilot worked a piece of stiff copper wire into the locking mechanism, overriding the control panel. Poe turned and looked at Hux. He'd shaved, his sharp jawline now smooth and his hair looked freshly washed. The dusty shirt and stained cargo pants Hux had grown familiar seeing him in were gone, replaced by a clean outfit. A simple tan shirt tucked into a fresh pair of brown cargo pants. He still wore his nerf leather jacket, zipped halfway up over his chest.

"What are you doing here?" Hux asked, slightly surprised. It was a daring move on the pilot's part to seek him out aboard the ship, surrounded by his own comrades.

"Making sure you are okay" Poe replied casually.

"I suppose the best I can be in the situation". Hux paused for a moment. "Your soldiers are quite the gossips" Hux said, nodding his head in the direction of the wall behind him. "And your ship's walls are quite thin".

The corners of Poe's mouth ticked up in a slight smile. He could only imagine what the soldiers aboard the ship had been saying in the lounge area on the opposite side of the wall. "I'm sure yours are the same".

"I wouldn't know" Hux said flatly. He never spent time fraternizing with his troops, considering it unnecessary to spend any considerable amount of time with them. Idle gossip was even more of an unneeded and purposeless expenditure that could be used in wiser, and more productive ways.

Poe noticed Hux no longer wore his signature Order uniform as he sat huddled on the bench. He looked defeated. The man that Poe had lay beside that morning had faded into something else. Strands of ginger hair hung around his face and his eyes seemed dull in the faint light of the bunk. His pale cheek was still smeared with dirt and his jawline was still thick with a wiry ginger beard.

"What happened to your uniform?" Poe asked.

"Your friends came in and forced me to change into this ridiculous ensemble" Hux replied solemnly. "At least it's not that offensive orange color you all seem to love so much".

"It's not that bad" Poe offered. He couldn't change the situation Hux was in, but ever the optimist, the least he could do was try to lighten the mood some. He took a few steps across the room and sat besides Hux. Reaching up to the side of the General's face, he pushed back the errant strands of hair that had fallen into his eyes before trying to scrub away some of the dirt from his cheek with his thumb.

Hux's gaze dropped to the ground for a moment, studying the pattern of the metal grating before glancing back up at the pilot next to him. "How much longer until we return to your base?"

"I can't tell you" Poe responded coolly. "You know that".

Hux nodded silently. Despite opening up to him on a personal level, the pilot had remained steadfast on staying tight lipped on any matters concerning the Resistance.

"I managed to grab something before we left though" Poe said as he began unzipping his coat. Pulling Hux's greatcoat from beneath his own, he set the hastily folded heap of heavy fabric onto Hux's lap.

Hux looked down at his lap. He was unable to reach for it, but even in the crumpled mess, he knew what Poe had salvaged. The item had once meant so much to him. It exuded power and prestige, a symbol of greatness. Now it was nothing besides a worthless bit of fabric.

"Thank you" Hux said quietly "But I don't want it back".

With a puzzled expression, Poe reached over and ran his hand over the fraying fabric. Hux had once been so protective of the coat. His dismissal of it surprised him.

"My life is not one of grandeur anymore. I'm nothing now, aside from a prisoner of war".

"You still believe in the Order though?" Poe asked curiously.

"Of course. I can be stripped of my uniform, but I will hold the values to my grave" Hux replied steadfastly.

Poe grit his teeth. He never expected Hux to renounce his principles, much as he refused to back down from his own. The fading bruises on each other's faces were a stark reminder of that fact.

"Aside from my former life" Hux continued, his tone softening "If I kept it, it would only remind me of you".

Poe grabbed the fabric with his fingers and balled the coat up. Shoving it back underneath his own jacket, he gave Hux a sympathetic smile.

"I have to go. I've been here too long already" Poe said as he re-zipped his coat, almost ready to stand from the edge of the bench.

"This is goodbye then" Hux interjected flatly, stopping the pilot in his tracks.

Poe didn't know what to say as he looked at Hux. He had already taken a huge risk to see Hux here on the ship and knew the General's fate once they returned to base. While his death was not imminent, it was the ultimate end for Hux and both men knew it. Grasping Hux, Poe pulled the General close to him into a deep kiss. The pilot ran his hand through Hux's hair, memorizing how the silken ginger strands felt as they fell between his calloused fingers.

Hux wished his wrists were not bound behind him. Unable for one last opportunity to touch the pilot, his fingers clenched into tight fists as he kissed Poe back. He instead tried to remember every other detail of Poe. How he smelled clean like soap yet still had an underlying hint of engine grease that could never be scrubbed away. How soft his lips were against his own. The playful nip of teeth from him against his bottom lip as the pilot broke from the kiss and stepped back from him.

"I never liked goodbyes. It always meant you weren't coming back" Poe said, his voice low and despondent.

Hux gave the pilot a half smile. There was a certain sadness in his eyes, but also understanding as he watched Poe turn and work the wire free that had jammed the locking system before disappearing down the corridor from the bunk. The door slid shut behind him, leaving Hux in the cold, dim room alone again.

Turning a corner, Poe checked over both shoulders, listening for any oncoming footsteps before continuing on. Reaching the airlock, he glanced up and down the hall, double checking to ensure he was alone. He pulled Hux's coat from his own and stuffed the fabric into the compartment before closing the door and securing the handle. He took a deep breath as he brought his palm over a button that would space the General's coat for good. None of this between them was suppose to happen. It defied all odds that a General of the First Order and a Resistance pilot would survive a crash landing that should have gravely injured them both, let alone find solace in one another while stranded on a strange planet. He wasn't suppose to feel an ache in his heart as he walked away from a man who had committed so many crimes against the galaxy and stood for every ideal he had fought so hard against. Poe's hand hovered for a moment longer before coming down firmly against the button. A loud whoosh echoed down the corridor as their secrets evaporated into the blackness of space.

Poe stepped back as he watched the swirl of gray dust float away from the ship.

With that, it was all over.

 _Goodbye._


End file.
